Instructor: Caroline M Sabbah, L.L.L, CNP, RSW, NNCP, CHPC

Caroline (Carol-een) is a Functional Holistic Nutritionist & Certified Nutritional Practitioner, graduating with first-class honours from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition and trained in Functional Medicine as well as Functional Genomics. For nearly a decade, she has focused her clinical practice in functional genomics, continually advancing her expertise through ongoing training, mentorship, and research. Caroline has worked with leading genetic companies, providing consultations, and supporting clients in understanding their unique genetic profiles.

Her practice integrates Functional Genomics, nervous system regulation, and longevity science, combining cutting-edge research with a holistic approach to health. She is passionate about supporting women’s well-being from the inside out—addressing everything from gut health to brain function—while using genetic insights to create highly personalized, precise recommendations.

Caroline began her career as a litigation lawyer and mediator, where she experienced firsthand the impact of chronic stress on health. Her own healing journey inspired a career transition into functional nutrition. Today, her mission is to empower women and practitioners with the knowledge of genetic insight and tools to optimize health, support nervous system balance, and enhance both lifespan and health span, helping clients live vibrant, resilient lives with energy, clarity, and purpose.

FORMAT: Online, LIVE, with Access to All Recordings
LOCATION: Zoom Classroom
SESSIONS: 9 Tuesdays
DATES: May 5, 12, 19, 26 | June 2, 16, 23, 30| July 7 | 2026
* no class on Tuesday June 9
TIME: 5:00 – 8:00 pm Eastern/2:00 – 5:00 pm Pacific
FEE: $550 + GST
REQUIRED DIGITAL COURSE NOTES: $30 + GST
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Friday, April 24, 2026

Course Description
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The primary goal of this course is designed to equip nutrition practitioners with the foundational skills to understand and use the cutting edge field of personalized, precision health. You’ll leave with the knowledge and skills to confidently interpret any genetic test results and transform them into clear, actionable strategies that create measurable impact in your clients’ lives.

You’ll learn how genes function as the body’s instruction manual, how they influence biochemistry, and how the nutrition and supplement plans along with lifestyle choices suggested in your protocols can turn genes on or off to truly optimize health and shape longevity.

Even if you choose not to work directly with genetics, this course will deepen your understanding of how genes impact health and wellbeing, giving you valuable insights into your clients’ concerns and helping you better support their overall wellness.

Whether you choose to specialize in genetics or simply want to expand your clinical depth, this course will empower you with a new lens to understand how genetic testing and epigenetic factors can sharpen your protocols and validate your recommendations by uncovering the genetic influence behind your clients’ chronic conditions or their wish to enhance their personal health blueprint for optimal wellness.

Course Objectives

• Develop a solid understanding of basic cellular and molecular biology, including how nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) regulate homeostasis and how changes in nucleic acids impact cell function. Gain insight into epigenetics and how it influences gene expression to shape health outcomes.

• Deep dive into nutritional genomics, fitness genetics, and the genetics of metabolic disorders such as diabetes and cardiovascular, while also exploring pathways tied to detoxification, hormonal balance, neurotransmitter synthesis, and resilience.

• Learn how to work with genetic testing results with skill and authority but also how to communicate findings to clients, using a framework that integrates science and strategy, from cellular and whole-systems thinking to translate previously “hidden” data into transformative health plans.

• Gain insight to understand client variability and learn why two people with similar symptoms may respond differently to well-established healing diets and supplement protocols and needing completely different approaches.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, students should have general proficiency in the following:
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• Demonstrate how genetic variation shapes dietary needs, nutrient metabolism, fitness response, weight regulation, cardiovascular function, detoxification, gut–brain health, bone integrity, and hormonal balance. Then connect those insights to epigenetic modifiers such as breathwork and meditation, hormesis (heat/cold, fasting, exercise), circadian rhythm and light exposure, environmental inputs, and Blue Zones–inspired lifestyle habits to design practical, personalized interventions.

• Apply genetic testing within a clear, systematic framework to create personalized health plans that optimize client outcomes with a higher degree of precision and effectiveness.

• Integrate genetic data with a client’s terrain, symptoms, nutrition, and lifestyle factors, viewing genes as part of a whole interconnected system rather than isolated pathways.

• Replace generalized recommendations with targeted, strategic approaches, removing guesswork from nutrition and lifestyle recommendations.

• Gain a deep understanding of epigenetics, how lifestyle, environment, nutrition, stress, and mindset influence gene expression, and learn to design recommendations that support optimal genetic pathways, supporting healing, resilience, and long-term vitality.

• Expand your clinical capacity and deepen client trust combining genetic and epigenetic insights to develop dynamic, evolving health strategies that adapt to the client’s unique biology and changing needs over time.

Session 1
DATE: Tuesday, May 5, 2026
MAIN CONCEPT: Foundations of Genetics & Genomics in Practice
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This module will help build a foundational understanding of DNA biology, genetics, functional genomics, nutrient-gene interaction, and gene expression.

• Introduce the principles of epigenetics, emphasizing how lifestyle, nutrition, environment, and mindset can turn genes on or off, providing a framework for supporting health through targeted interventions.

• Learn about standards for genetic testing, including privacy considerations and testing protocols when selecting testing companies. We will also explore ancestral health patterns and evolutionary mismatch, showing how our genetic heritage interacts with modern environments and why honoring cultural diversity is essential for accurate interpretation. Ethical considerations, such as informed consent and privacy, will also be addressed.

• The focus will be on setting a foundational framework when reviewing genetic reports and connecting foundational science with practical tools to begin integrating genomics into your practice.

Session 2
DATE: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
MAIN CONCEPT: Weight Balance, Metabolic & Dietary Genes
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This module examines how genetic variations influence hunger signals, satiety, adiponectin, and dopamine-driven reward pathways.

• Understand how stress, inflammation, and adipocyte dysfunction contribute to weight resistance and identify the genes that play a key role.

• Explore epigenetic mechanisms that impact metabolism and weight regulation, showing how nutrition, exercise, and stress management can positively influence gene expression to improve metabolic flexibility and resilience.

• We will also integrate circadian biology, breathwork, and hormesis strategies such as fasting, heat, and cold exposure — introducing these as “epineutrients” that optimize gene expression

By the end of this module, you will have strategies to personalize nutrition including macronutrient ratios, meal timing, and supplementation tailored to individual metabolic profiles, creating precise and effective interventions.

Session 3
DATE: Tuesday, May 19, 2026
MAIN CONCEPT: Metainflammation & the Inflammatory Drivers of Endocrine Weight Gain
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This module explores how genetics influence cellular repair, detoxification pathways, hormone synthesis and regulation, and mitochondrial energy production.

• We expand the focus to the nervous system as the master regulator of inflammation and mitochondrial health. You will learn how chronic stress and trauma alter gene expression through the HPA axis and vagus nerve, leading to systemic inflammation and accelerated aging. Practical strategies such as coherence training, breathwork, and nervous-system-focused interventions will be introduced.

• Learn how dysfunction in these systems impacts resilience, recovery, and long-term health, particularly in areas such as hormonal balance, toxin clearance, and energy generation.

• A strong focus will be placed on epigenetic regulation of cellular pathways, including detoxification enzymes, hormonal signalling, and mitochondrial function.

By the end of this module, you will understand how environmental toxins, lifestyle factors, and targeted strategies can shift these pathways to support cellular function, energy production, repair, and longevity.

Session 4
DATE: Tuesday, May 26, 2026
MAIN CONCEPT: Methylation, Inflammation & Gut Health
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This module highlights the central role of methylation as a key epigenetic process, influencing detoxification, neurotransmitter balance, and immune regulation.

• Explore how methylation, inflammation and gut health interact with these pathways, and how nutrition and lifestyle can modulate gene expression to support balance.

• Gain a deep understanding of how variations in these pathways impact detoxification, immune regulation, neurotransmitter balance, and nutrient metabolism.

• We will also cover practical strategies for addressing imbalances through personalized nutrition, lifestyle interventions, and supplementation, with a focus on supporting gut health, reducing chronic inflammation, and optimizing methylation cycles.

By the end of this module, you will be able to integrate these insights into a systematic, gene-informed approach for improving resilience and restoring balance across multiple systems.

Session 5
DATE: Tuesday, June 2, 2026
MAIN CONCEPT: Mental, Cognitive & Behavioural Genomics
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This module explores the genetic pathways that influence mental wellbeing, cognitive performance, and behavioral responses.

• Gain a deep understanding of how variations in genes affect neurotransmitter synthesis and breakdown, stress response regulation, and brain plasticity, as well as their role in mood, focus, memory, and resilience.

• Examine the connections between genetics, epigenetics, and neuroinflammation, and how these factors contribute to conditions such as anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, and burnout.

• Practical strategies will focus on supporting brain health through personalized nutrition, lifestyle interventions, and supplementation, empowering you to address mental and emotional wellbeing at the genetic and biochemical level.

By the end of this module, you will be equipped to integrate genetic insights into your practice to support brain health, emotional wellbeing, and cognitive optimization.

Evaluation covering Sessions 1–4 will be provided at the end of this class and is due at the beginning of Session 6 (will not be a case study, short answer and multiple choice)

Session 6
DATE: Tuesday, June 16, 2026
MAIN CONCEPT: Cardiovascular & Vascular Health Genomics
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This module examines the genetic pathways that influence cardiovascular and vascular health, with a focus on identifying key genetic variations that affect heart function, blood vessel integrity, and circulatory resilience.

• Learn how genes regulate lipid metabolism, blood pressure control, vascular inflammation, clotting mechanisms, and nitric oxide production, and how these factors interact to shape cardiovascular risk.

By the end of this module, you will be able to identify cardiovascular-related genetic markers and integrate them with client health and epigenetics influences such as diet, exercise and toxin exposure to create personalized nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement protocols aimed at supporting heart and vascular health, while addressing the root causes of dysfunction.

Session 7
DATE: Tuesday, June 23, 2026
MAIN CONCEPT: Exercise & Bone Health Genomics
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This module explores the genetic factors that influence physical performance, recovery, injury risk, and bone integrity.

• Learn how genetic variations affect muscle fiber composition, tendon and ligament resilience, aerobic and anaerobic capacity, inflammation, and oxidative stress, as well as how they shape an individual’s response to different training modalities.

• Examine the genetics of bone density, remodeling, and fracture risk, identifying key pathways involved in calcium regulation, vitamin D metabolism, and collagen synthesis.

• Integrate epigenetic insights into exercise planning, exploring how movement, recovery practices, and nutrient strategies can modulate gene expression to enhance performance, strengthen bones, and support recovery to avoid injury over the lifespan.

• Practical applications will focus on designing personalized exercise, recovery, and bone-support strategies, including training approaches, nutrient support, and lifestyle interventions tailored to each client’s unique genetic profile.

By the end of this module, you will be equipped to integrate genomics into exercise and musculoskeletal health planning, helping clients optimize performance, support recovery, and maintain strong, healthy bones as they age.

Session 8
DATE: Tuesday, June 30, 2026
MAIN CONCEPT: Longevity, Healthspan & Emerging Science
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This module integrates everything learned through the lens of healthspan optimization and the hallmarks of aging.

• Explore autophagy, mitophagy, and mitochondrial renewal, including how fasting, feeding cycles, and strength vs aerobic training influence longevity pathways like mTOR, AMPK, and SIRT.

• Understand circadian biology and its role in regulating metabolism, sleep, and repair.

• Learn how hormesis and eustress practices — sauna, cold exposure, breathwork — can build resilience and adaptability.

• Reconcile ancestral Blue Zone principles with modern genetic personalization.

• Explore emerging science: non-coding genome, coherence practices, photobiomodulation, vagus stimulation, and quantum biology.

Session 9
DATE: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
MAIN CONCEPT: Integration, Case Studies & Holistic Clinical Flow
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In this final module, you will integrate everything learned throughout the course to confidently apply genetic insights in practice. We focus on polygenic, systems-based interpretation, bringing together genetics, epigenetics, and cultural considerations into a cohesive practice framework.

Through detailed case studies, you will learn how to:

• Review genetic reports with a system-based approach.

• Identify priorities and map out a clear sequence of recommendations.

• Integrate epigenetic principles alongside genetic insight, with a client’s symptoms, health history, and lifestyle factors.

• Use the 3-3-3 model for prioritizing recommendations: three focus areas, three nutrition strategies, three lifestyle interventions.

• Navigate complex cases where multiple systems and genetic pathways overlap.

This module emphasizes clinical decision-making, including how to communicate findings to clients, set realistic goals, and create personalized, actionable health plans.

By the end of this module, you will have the skills to:

• Confidently work with genetic testing across a wide range of health concerns.

• Move beyond theory into practical, client-centered genomics application.

• Apply a holistic, precision-based framework that combines epigenetics, genetics, biochemistry, and lifestyle interventions and modern precision tools, to support outcomes.

Access to Material:

THE DAY BEFORE the course starts registered students will receive an email with LINKS to:

— A copy of the complete Course Outline with test and assignment dates
— Zoom Login and Password
— Digital Course Notes/Power Point Presentation Session 1 of 9
— Sessions 2 to 9 will be sent to registered students after the first class, before the session
— Every session’s replay will be sent to students before noon, the next day
— Recordings remain LIVE for 2 months after the course ends

CAN’T MAKE THE DAY & TIME? LEARN THROUGH RECORDINGS!

You may request to be considered for receiving replays of the course without or with earning the Certificate of Completion, depending on whether you are available to write the tests or hand in assignments on the designated days. We can work to accommodate your schedule. For more information on not being able to attend LIVE, and wanting to access the recordings, the faculty member and the chat group, please contact Julia Briski at julia@instituteofholisticnutrition.com

Please review IHN’s Online & In-Class Continuing Education Course/School Policies